Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s approach to special interests, or its response to global and national issues, affecting religion and faith matters. There is no worthwhile outcome achievable.

The complaint

1. X complained about what they saw as a failing by the Council to uphold the wider public interest, in particular relating to religion and faith related matters. X said this risked free speech and said they felt threatened by the Council officers and other persons in position of authority.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. X complained to the Council, and it rejected taking their complaint, saying the issues they raised related to its response to matters outside its control, including the energy crisis, Covid-19 and other global events affecting religion and faith.
6. In their complaint to us, X made similar statements. However, we will not investigate. Our role is to investigate complaints where there has been a failure in a Council’s statutory duty, that has caused a significant personal injustice, and where we can achieve a meaningful remedy.
7. On the correspondence I have seen, and the complaint X has made, I cannot see how an investigation would achieve a worthwhile outcome; X has not specified a failure of public administration, that has caused him a significant personal injustice. And of the issues he is seeking for us to influence, we have no role as they are matters relating to the Council’s policy, which are better suited for elected representatives.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate X’s complaint because there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by us investigating.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman